The Bottom Dollars

The Bottom Dollars brought their best game to Bowery Ballroom on Friday night for two sets that included covers, guest guitarists, singers, and even an LED hula hooper. It’s rare these days to see a rock band whose music is self conscious well informed of their musical choices, but this isn’t another indie rock band from Brooklyn. This is a rock and roll band whose reverence for classics like The Clash and The Band made their concert an appealing fusion of garage and punk tropes playing off whiskey drenched southern rock licks.

Sitting down with the band before the show, I found that the band started as a side-project in 2011 with drummer Evan Berg, guitarist and lead singer Brian Cherchiglia, and bassist Chris Urriola all of whom attended Berklee School of Music in Boston together. They decided to make The Bottom Dollars their main priority after moving to Brooklyn and their first E.P. Halcyon Days garnered a lot of buzz in the local rock scene.

Since 2011, The Bottom Dollars have gone through a few lineup changes, but have settled as a quartet adding Sean Spada on keys. The band has kept a completely DIY status, skirting record labels and recording everything themselves. They admit this route has hindered publicity but, Cherchiglia notes, he’s “taking the Allman Brothers route” which he clarifies as being “in it for the long haul” and not dying in a plane accident. Their “lifer” status mixes with a humble self-effacement that’s fresh and admirable in today’s rock and roll landscape.

One of my favorite tunes off of their first full length Meet Me in Cognito (released in February of 2014) is “The Devil’s Night,” which features Spada’s rollicking boogie woogie piano licks and Cherchiglia rapping in a Brian Setzer-like patter. When probed about the song’s inspiration, Cherchiglia says that it was written as a Tom Waits inspired run on about a guy tripping on acid in Park Slope who’s running away from the devil. During the show, the song had everyone on their feet dancing and spontaneously spinning their neighbors.

Meet Me in Cognito was also recorded by one of their favorite producers John Siket who’s known for his work with Sonic Youth, Phish, and The Replacements. It was recorded over a short inspiration burst of five days and then took 5 months to mix and master.

Cherchiglia also revealed that the band knows a “wedding band’s” worth of cover songs which spans from the expected classic rock like Waits, Bruce Springsteen and The Who to heavier and less expected influences like Iron Maiden or Nine Inch Nails.

The band played two covers at the Bowery Ballroom. In the first set they played “Gimme Shelter” by The Rolling Stones, and saw guest guitarist Mick Maverick of the Nuclears and female vocalist Skurt Vonnegut Jr. of Deathrow Tull come up and play along. The second set saw the cover of the Clash’s “Clampdown” with Maverick coming back to reprise his role as a second guitar, and also had one of Boston’s “self proclaimed rock star” Mick Greenwood come up to sing a verse or two.

In the interview we went over a sprawling amount of somewhat random conversations. We managed to connect on having been ten feet away from each other at the same Phish show at Bonnaroo in 2009, swapped stories about hearing life changing records for the first time, and other things that were laughed about and prefaced with “don’t print this…” so I won’t. Oh and of course, in partial honor of Pancakes and Whiskey, a bottle of Jameson magically showed up and we all took shots before the show.

Other highlights of the show was the faux-country ballad “Pieces” and their showstopper encore “Prizefighter.” “Prizefighter” rocked the socks off the few of us who made it to nearly 1am, with some of us hangbanging and flailing around the dancefloor in fits of personal abandonment. It was a great way to end the show and I suggest checking out The Bottom Dollars if you get a chance.

Article by: Steven Klett

Photos by: Nicholas Fallon - Pancakes & Whiskey

SXSW was in full swing on Wednesday for the first full day of music. While we tried to get to as many sets as possible, we were holding down the fort at our own party at Side Bar with Wildcat! Wildcat!, The Bottom Dollars, Ski Lodge, Lucius, Snowmine, SW/MM/NG, PAPA, Ex-cops, MO, and Vacationer. - The Wild Honey Pie

This Saturday night, emerging Brooklyn rock darlings the Bottom Dollars play a late night show at Mercury Lounge with brothers-in-rock the Nuclears. Known for the party-marathon atmosphere of their performances, the Bottom Dollars have amassed a following dedicated enough to effectively crowd-source funding for a van and put together an upcoming nationwide tour, all without a manager. We spoke to guitarist and lead vocalist Brian Cherchiglia, surrounded by his bandmates, to find out how they're pulling off being entirely DIY in NYC.
See Also:
-Fan Landers: How Can My Band Go From DIY To The Next Level?
-The Top Ten DIY Venues In New York City
-Fan Landers: "I've DIY'ed Myself Into Oblivion. How Do I Climb Out Of It?"

Given that your band has a reputation for turning shows into all-out parties, how do you present that style of performance to a crowd and still connect with them?
I like to perform a show the way I like to see a show, and the whole 30-45 minute set-"thing" that New York, and a lot of the clubs on the east coast try to adopt, never really worked for me. I warm-up at 20-30 minutes in the first place [just] to get into the groove. We like playing longer shows, which I think people enjoy because they're getting their money's worth. They're not paying 10 bucks for 40 minutes, they're paying 10 bucks for a three-hour show with us playing 90 minutes. When doing shows at [the band's Operahouse parties] there's no curfew. We would just play all night and make the first couple rounds of drinks on the house so people were already having a good time. At that point, as long as we don't suck, everyone's gonna walk away having a pretty good evening.

Speaking of connecting with a crowd, your band acquired your van through crowd-sourcing and reaching out through social media. How did you manage that?
Back when [Bottom Dollars drummer] Evan and I ran TK421, an independent music publishing company, we experimented with crowd-sourcing and realized how much bullshit and loopholes come with it today. Like, how [Kickstarter] take a cut outright. So, we figured, if we're going to raise money, we're going to spend the money wisely and not going to give any of it away. We all had PayPals and we made a Tumblr with a short little funny video, and the next thing you knew, we had a car. It's not completely DIY because we didn't create PayPal or Tumblr, but we utilized actual free resources that don't tax the user and we contacted people saying any amount of money you could give would help us. We raised about $1,800, which got us a van, which is going to make going on tour pretty wonderful.

When did it feel right to start taking shows outside of New York?
It was all kind of an accident. We recorded [the band's debut] The Halcyon Days in 2011 and, a week later, got an offer to go play South by Southwest. We'd never been, and were like "Fuck it, let's go." We were only there for two days. We drove 36 hours, played a show at noon and drove back. I got fired for going, which gave me more free time to write music, but after we played SXSW, we got the idea of touring and booked it like we were booking someone else and put a tour together. Next thing you know, we were getting the guarantees to sustain ourselves, and touring was relatively easy. At that point, why not?

With Bottom Dollars sharing some, but not all, members with your other band Deathrow Tull, is there ever a conflict of interest dividing attention between the two bands?We're on the same calendar. It's the same thing to us. It's a beautiful thing, actually, because the dual-band existence forces each band to work on a timeline, which most bands don't realize that they need to do. We always think about three-to-six months ahead, just out of courtesy with the scheduling. That in itself forces each band to be productive based on what's on the calendar.

You've played the Mercury Lounge before with both Bottom Dollars and Deathrow Tull. With each band, do you prepare for the show differently?
We've done a couple late night things with Bowery Presents already. Preparing for the shows is the same kind of deal. We turn up the heat on rehearsals the week of the show, come up with fresh covers, new transitions, ideas, it's really the same thing.

Why do you think you've caught on with the New York audience, often accused of being fickle and short-attention spanned, in such a way?
Honestly, I don't know. We're very fortunate and very lucky that people are willing to give our music a shot, and we appreciate that. I don't know. I don't think these songs are very good when I write them and, I guess, it must be a vibe thing. We never said no to a show and were always down to come and play. I think we just put the work in and were lucky enough that people were receptive. - Village Voice

On the last day of CMJ I was looking for some bands to check out and came across The Bottom Dollars. They caught my attention as I liked enough of what I heard to make their set for the No Pulp Showcase at Arlene’s Grocery my first stop of the day.

I was won over from the very first song of the set, Devils Night which had an awesome mixture of rock & soul that got the crowd moving & dancing. Prize Fighter featured super catchy verses that were built around fantastic guitar & drum work that you could not help but bob your head along with.

Six Twenty Six was one of the newer songs featured (although technically everything was new to me!). The band clearly enjoyed playing this one & the crowd responded quite enthusiastically to their energy.

One of my favorite moments of the set was the finale which was a cover of the legendary Jackie Wilson hit (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher. Their performance of it was absolutely awesome & breath taking as the energy was through the roof from not only the band but the audience as well.

I can’t stress enough how happy I am to have discovered The Bottom Dollars as I was blown away by not only their songs which were raw & full of so much feeling but how much fun they displayed playing together. I must also compliment them on being very nice to speak with as well. They are definitely a band I plan on seeing as much as I can & you should do the same!

Setlist:

Devils Night
Prize Fighter
Pieces
Six Twenty Six
Whoa
(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher - Indie Music Review

Summer might be over and festival season coming to an end, but not if Bushwick Daily and The Bottom Dollars have anything to say about it. Last Sunday the online magazine and the Brooklyn band co-produced Holy Smokes!, a music and arts festival, at Bushwicks’s Silent Barn. Running all day across two stages, the festival, which was sponsored by Lagunitas beer and BKLYN Burro, was a perfect example of what makes The Silent Barn and the entire Bushwick music scene so special.

Kicking off at 1PM and continuing until well after sundown, the two stages saw over twenty acts cross their boards. Ranging from Indie to Hip Hop, the music lineup included an impressive array of Brooklyn based and out of town bands. Rap, Reggae and R&B acts played outside on the “Brain” stage while inside on the Main stage, beneath dangling shoe forms and wooden planks nailed to the ceiling, bands played in between DJ sets.

While there were a number of outstanding acts, a few really stood out for me. Fiona Silver sang originals and classic covers with an electric guitar, a ukulele, and a voice much bigger than you’d expect from such a little lady, while soul songstress, Nicky Egan, mixed the emotion of Amy Winehouse and Adele with the grit and blues of Janis Joplin. But the real noteworthy set was from Las Rosas, a garage rock, occasionally surf pop three piece who sound like an updated, brilliantly petulant amalgamation of every Nuggets compilation song you’ve ever heard, which makes sense considering their bassist, Jose Boyer, used to be in Harlem.

The festival wasn’t just about music, though. In typical Silent Barn style, the venue sold records and vintage clothing, housed art instillations by Thesthetics and even had a photo booth in which Jonsar Studios took three minute photo shoots of any festival attendee willing to participate. The photo shoots were part of an art project that Jonsar is working on where, similar to Andy Warhol’s screen tests, the true essence of the individual emerges after continuous shooting. They provided a unique experience for festival goers to participate in the creation of art.

Between the music, art and general DIY atmosphere, The Holy Smokes! Music and Arts Festival managed to capture the spirit of Brooklyn in just one perfect afternoon. New York needs more small scale festivals like this. Let's hope they make it an annual event. - Charged.fm

The Keymaster speaks. The Bottom Dollars, The Nuclears, and Deathrow Tull embark on a national tour this spring, 2013.
Read more at http://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/2TJv5My0tOw#Z2Kj1UhDqdcgf81W.99 - NME

Ah, The Bottom Dollars. I love them like a brother, the one who’s in prison for robbing an all-you-can-eat joint, then sitting down in a booth in the same all-you-can-eat joint and using the proceeds of his robbery to order dinner. He’s always been a feckless character, my brother–he once found a way to lock himself in the trunk of a stolen car, then had to wait for the police to get him out.

Anyway, I recently brought him a copy of The Bottom Dollars’ Loud As Fuck, and I’ll be damned if it didn’t do what all great rock’n’roll is designed to do—inspire him to escape. Granted it was a minimal security prison, and all he had to do was stroll out the door, but still. Afterwards I received an e-mail that read, “I’m free as a bird, man! Prison is great if you like watching America’s Top Model while the serial rapist sitting next to you shouts, “Pick me! Pick me!” I swear there were days when the only thing that kept me going was that great story where Billy Joel decides to kill himself. He sees some chlorine bleach and says, ‘Nah, that’s gonna taste bad.’ So he takes the Pledge. And all he ends up doing is farting furniture polish.”

Brooklyn, NY’s The Bottom Dollars may not inspire many prison escapes, but their rabble-rousing live shows could just start a riot or two. Nostradamus Jr. that I am, I predict big things for this band. Their songwriting is excellent; their vocals are alternately frantic and soulful with a country lilt, and they’re crack players who are as adept at rocking out as they are at putting paid to a sweet soul standard. They also happen to crank out more sizzling guitar solos than anybody this side of J. Mascis, and they don’t need three 5,000-foot-high Marshall stacks to do it.


The Bottom Dollars—they’re Evan on drums and vocals, Brian on guitar and vocals, Chris on bass and vocals, Dan on guitar and vocals, and Owen, the band’s man about town, on multiple instruments–have released two full lengths (2011’s powerful live debut Loud As Fuck and 2012’s excellent Good News, Everyone!) as well as a four-song EP (2011’s stellar “Halcyon Days.”) They’ve also released five singles, every last one of them, I kid you not dear reader, a bona fide wonder.

The band calls what they play “Rock’n’Soul,” although there’s no ignoring a strong country element that one member described to me as “an accidental by-product of the soul and rock. What most people call ‘Country,’ we call good songwriting.” I’m not the type to quibble, but I was raised in the country, wore bib overalls until I was in my 20s, and once shot a man in Reno just to watch him die, and I know country music when I hear it. It’s what came out of the 1938 Zenith Baby Stratosphere of my sweet old grandma, who whored around in honky tonks until she was in her sixties, always carried a stocking pistol and a flask of shine, and is generally credited with inventing the three-way. So “accidental by-product” my hillbilly keister. The Bottom Dollars have some country in them, or my name is Liberace.

If I prefer Loud as Fuck over Good News, Everyone!, it has nothing to do with any shortcomings in the latter. Rather, it’s because Loud As Fuck features some of the most snaggle-toothed extended guitar solos this side of the Mason-Dixon line from the Drive-by Truckers, not to mention two show-stopping soul covers—Sam Cooke’s “Don’t Do It” (which was famously covered by The Band) and Jackie Wilson’s “Your Love Keeps Lifting Me (Higher and Higher).” Then there’s the nine-minute-plus “Fall Into Arms,” which chugs along like the proverbial Mystery Train with the band throwing in lots of forlorn “Woooo-hoooos” (which if they aren’t country, what are they? Wallaby mating calls?) before the whole shebang goes ecstatic on your ass and breaks into an extended guitar jam that is almost as good as my all-time favorite rock anecdote, the one where Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Artimus Pyle runs for help after the band’s infamous plane crash only to find himself at the farm of one Johnny Mote, who seeing a blood-drenched long hair running his way shows him some proper Southern hospitality and shoots him.

Loud As Fuck also boasts the Wunderbar “Peace and Anarchy,” a mid-tempo number that boasts frantic vocals, some chaotic guitar-slinging, and (surprise of surprises) a burly rap by guest Dyalekt (aka WMD DuBois) of the wonderfully named Deathrow Tull, with whom Evan and Brian also play under the aliases “Endo Kalrissian” and “Every Part Of The Buffalo.” Dyalekt, whose gruff bellow reminds me a bit of Handsome Dick Manitoba, begins his rap, “Ever since I said bye-bye to Miss American Pie/And got Shook All Night by those American thighs/Mental slavery defined my American pride/This is just another slice of This American Life/Very disguised/ Don’t you know Americans lie?”

As for their latest release, Good News, Everyone!, it includes the catchy and guitar-heavy opener “Job in the City [Part 1],” the slow and beautiful “Anne Marie,” and “Pieces,” which boasts some - The Vinyl District

Ah, The Bottom Dollars. I love them like a brother, the one who’s in prison for robbing an all-you-can-eat joint, then sitting down in a booth in the same all-you-can-eat joint and using the proceeds of his robbery to order dinner. He’s always been a feckless character, my brother–he once found a way to lock himself in the trunk of a stolen car, then had to wait for the police to get him out.

Anyway, I recently brought him a copy of The Bottom Dollars’ Loud As Fuck, and I’ll be damned if it didn’t do what all great rock’n’roll is designed to do—inspire him to escape. Granted it was a minimal security prison, and all he had to do was stroll out the door, but still. Afterwards I received an e-mail that read, “I’m free as a bird, man! Prison is great if you like watching America’s Top Model while the serial rapist sitting next to you shouts, “Pick me! Pick me!” I swear there were days when the only thing that kept me going was that great story where Billy Joel decides to kill himself. He sees some chlorine bleach and says, ‘Nah, that’s gonna taste bad.’ So he takes the Pledge. And all he ends up doing is farting furniture polish.”

Brooklyn, NY’s The Bottom Dollars may not inspire many prison escapes, but their rabble-rousing live shows could just start a riot or two. Nostradamus Jr. that I am, I predict big things for this band. Their songwriting is excellent; their vocals are alternately frantic and soulful with a country lilt, and they’re crack players who are as adept at rocking out as they are at putting paid to a sweet soul standard. They also happen to crank out more sizzling guitar solos than anybody this side of J. Mascis, and they don’t need three 5,000-foot-high Marshall stacks to do it.


The Bottom Dollars—they’re Evan on drums and vocals, Brian on guitar and vocals, Chris on bass and vocals, Dan on guitar and vocals, and Owen, the band’s man about town, on multiple instruments–have released two full lengths (2011’s powerful live debut Loud As Fuck and 2012’s excellent Good News, Everyone!) as well as a four-song EP (2011’s stellar “Halcyon Days.”) They’ve also released five singles, every last one of them, I kid you not dear reader, a bona fide wonder.

The band calls what they play “Rock’n’Soul,” although there’s no ignoring a strong country element that one member described to me as “an accidental by-product of the soul and rock. What most people call ‘Country,’ we call good songwriting.” I’m not the type to quibble, but I was raised in the country, wore bib overalls until I was in my 20s, and once shot a man in Reno just to watch him die, and I know country music when I hear it. It’s what came out of the 1938 Zenith Baby Stratosphere of my sweet old grandma, who whored around in honky tonks until she was in her sixties, always carried a stocking pistol and a flask of shine, and is generally credited with inventing the three-way. So “accidental by-product” my hillbilly keister. The Bottom Dollars have some country in them, or my name is Liberace.

If I prefer Loud as Fuck over Good News, Everyone!, it has nothing to do with any shortcomings in the latter. Rather, it’s because Loud As Fuck features some of the most snaggle-toothed extended guitar solos this side of the Mason-Dixon line from the Drive-by Truckers, not to mention two show-stopping soul covers—Sam Cooke’s “Don’t Do It” (which was famously covered by The Band) and Jackie Wilson’s “Your Love Keeps Lifting Me (Higher and Higher).” Then there’s the nine-minute-plus “Fall Into Arms,” which chugs along like the proverbial Mystery Train with the band throwing in lots of forlorn “Woooo-hoooos” (which if they aren’t country, what are they? Wallaby mating calls?) before the whole shebang goes ecstatic on your ass and breaks into an extended guitar jam that is almost as good as my all-time favorite rock anecdote, the one where Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Artimus Pyle runs for help after the band’s infamous plane crash only to find himself at the farm of one Johnny Mote, who seeing a blood-drenched long hair running his way shows him some proper Southern hospitality and shoots him.

Loud As Fuck also boasts the Wunderbar “Peace and Anarchy,” a mid-tempo number that boasts frantic vocals, some chaotic guitar-slinging, and (surprise of surprises) a burly rap by guest Dyalekt (aka WMD DuBois) of the wonderfully named Deathrow Tull, with whom Evan and Brian also play under the aliases “Endo Kalrissian” and “Every Part Of The Buffalo.” Dyalekt, whose gruff bellow reminds me a bit of Handsome Dick Manitoba, begins his rap, “Ever since I said bye-bye to Miss American Pie/And got Shook All Night by those American thighs/Mental slavery defined my American pride/This is just another slice of This American Life/Very disguised/ Don’t you know Americans lie?”

As for their latest release, Good News, Everyone!, it includes the catchy and guitar-heavy opener “Job in the City [Part 1],” the slow and beautiful “Anne Marie,” and “Pieces,” which boasts some - The Vinyl District

The South by Southwest music festival kicked off Tuesday with the first of five straight nights of music overload: The clubs, makeshift music venues and front porches of Austin, Texas, were overrun with little-known discoveries-in-waiting and big names alike, as well as tens of thousands of fans who have flocked to the city in search of epiphanies.


SXSW: Live From Austin
Live Tonight: Nick Cave, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, More From SXSW
Finding a prevailing trend at SXSW isn't easy; the festival is like 50 events in one, so it's possible to see nothing but hip-hop, or big names, or heavy metal, or bands from overseas. There's one clear trend in independent music: A lot of the biggest artists have shed the intimacy of bedroom recordings in pursuit of a grandiose, joyous, room-filling sound.

My favorite young band of the festival's opening night fits this bill. Mother Falcon, a 17-piece rock orchestra of sorts, is based in Austin and can't help but send huge sounds bouncing off the rafters. I'm looking forward to seeing a like-minded octet called The Soil & The Sun.

Of course, the big names have their own pull, too. Prince is slated to perform at the SXSW closing party Saturday night, and even the most discovery-minded festival-goers — the ones who lament SXSW's increased emphasis on established names like Green Day and Snoop Dogg — are likely to have a hard time passing up the opportunity to see that. - NPR: All Songs Considered

The Bottom Dollars music goes something like this:

It's showing up for church on Sunday mornings.
Somehow this seems right. There's something in them that makes the men in this Brooklyn-based band seem God-fearing/formerly God-fearing/Future fearing.
It's showing up for church on Sunday mornings with the taste of Saturday night still on their tongues.
It's showing up for church on Sunday mornings, with the sunlight feeling too damned bright. It's showing up with mud caking the back tires and the lower half of the truck body.
It's having a flask tucked, at all times, in the inside pocket of any coat that would ever be worn. It's keeping that flask healthily full with something that coats.
It's keeping every photograph of grandma, grandpa, mom and dad that are still around.
It's looking at them and being reminded of how much you look like all of them and wonder if they were feeling the same ways that they are currently feeling, at the same stages in their lives.
It's feeling time get washed completely the fuck away.
It's feeling helpless and not drunk enough. It's feeling too drunk, but having it still feel like not being drunk enough.
It's love and it's a sore throat after a great night with old friends. It's a sore throat after a night of arguing, of losing. It's sadness and it's happiness, in equal measures.

*Essay originally published June, 2012 - Daytrotter

Brooklyn Bowl is a cool novelty venue–an actual bowling alley, but with a lot of great noise and a lot of great beers. I also noticed a lot of great girls, and would love to elaborate on this, but will hold off–at least for now..
I arrived as the middle band finished tuning, and made sure to be situated with a cool Jack-on-the-rocks before they started off. Sitting alone at one of the floor-lining picnic tables and sipping small sips, I settled into a weird trance watching this middle band, called the Hollows, who offered a twangy C&W/Classic Rock kind of sound–but nothing like contemporary pop country; more bluegrass, and good–all glued together with dynamite vocal harmonies reminiscent of the Beach Boys, and ‘Floyd. They were a cool trip: the kind of thing I’d imagine a drug user could really get into…and three or four or maybe five songs into their set, I was really getting into the Hollows, when a tall crew-cut bouncer stopped me from lighting a cigarette, and broke the trance.
[“Sorry, I’m from Florida, etc.”]
Heading outside to smoke, I stopped to dig the Hollows’ merch booth and ended up with a free download card after signing up for their mailing list; and before I could get away, the cheerfully cute merch-girl speedily suggested “You should buy a poster/we’re going for a world record,” and intrigued, I entertained the notion–
“Ah, do you mean, like–an official World Record?”
and merch-girl replied smiling “Well, no–we’re trying to sell at least one poster.”
“That can’t be true.”
“Really! We’re trying to sell our first one; posters are kind of a lost art–you know?”
And this impressed me, because posters are a lost art; so I bought one for five dollars under the stipulation that she “keep it for me until I’m ready to leave.”
A montage of craft beer sampling and whiskey shots and cigarette breaks outside and girls everywhere occupies the next slot of my memory, and the scene ends abruptly at the back door of the venue, on the sidewalk with hybrid smoke and a few new friends who rushed back in with me upon our realization that the stereo had been switched off and the headlining act was on. I’d recognized the first two songs as being the same loud and catchy perfect 4/4 rock’n'roll I’d listened to all afternoon on Bandcamp–it was The Bottom Dollars, from Brooklyn, NY.
They’re one of those bands that demands your attention, and you don’t mind because you want to give it to them. They’re loud and raw; clean but with that right kind of feedback that stings the P.A. system, reminding the crowd where they are–like how the subtle hiss of tape on a record reminds one why it’s good.
The Bottom Dollars are a force, like a ten-foot fucking wave–
‘Total gusto, true cojones’
They were like Social Distortion, only more Clash and less actual social-distortion, and with a late-80’s John Doe singing lead. Those fiery hot-rod guitar solos were there, as was the admittedly handsome frontman who played them; also present was a tight, four-piece and fucking classic rock‘n’roll rhythm section, and all five members gave an impression of having each other’s backs–on stage, and off; even in a street-fight, it seemed. But still, there was something else–something fresh and Clash-like exploding from all angles–making the crowd wanna boogie-woogie all night; and man, they really did…
After a heavy, heavy rendition of Springteen’s Atlantic City, which featured The Hollows and was so good that I couldn’t look away or sing along or even move until the last note finished ringing and even then I just stood there smiling like an idiot for at least ten seconds before moving to higher ground–near the bowling lanes–where I could watch The Bottom Dollars and their crowd simultaneously:
The band was driving hard through another up-tempo number–the rhythm guitarist hacking out furious ‘Johnny Ramone down-strokes’ poised with knees bent inward looking at his sneakers; the bass player thumpin’ thumpin’ thumpin’ and rockin’ rockin’ back and forth and side to side and screaming into the air, and the drums, after building up gradually culminated high and stayed there crashing forward loud and hard with the keyboardist pressing just as hard and with his own purpose, leaning spastically in whatever direction each note pointed and the frontman, grinning like a gambler holding 21 and buzzing smearing strings through a big-time solo like Johnny B. Goode playing along to Mommy’s Little Monster.
It was huge, and in your face–total intensity–and the only way to keep from getting knocked on your ass was to boogie-woogie-woogie like Footloose-Kevin Bacon on molly, and none went to the floor that night.
Those sock hopping psychopaths couldn’t get enough of the band’s atomic flash. I’d never seen anything like it; not in person, anyhow…Everyone was gyrating, spazzing, very uniquely, incredibly. Squares would probably call it malfunctioning, but we know better. Most were dancing without partners, but proximity was close and I don’t think it - Rock Is Rock

The Bottom Dollars music goes something like this:

It's showing up for church on Sunday mornings.
Somehow this seems right. There's something in them that makes the men in this Brooklyn-based band seem God-fearing/formerly God-fearing/Future fearing.
It's showing up for church on Sunday mornings with the taste of Saturday night still on their tongues.
It's showing up for church on Sunday mornings, with the sunlight feeling too damned bright. It's showing up with mud caking the back tires and the lower half of the truck body.
It's having a flask tucked, at all times, in the inside pocket of any coat that would ever be worn. It's keeping that flask healthily full with something that coats.
It's keeping every photograph of grandma, grandpa, mom and dad that are still around.
It's looking at them and being reminded of how much you look like all of them and wonder if they were feeling the same ways that they are currently feeling, at the same stages in their lives.
It's feeling time get washed completely the fuck away.
It's feeling helpless and not drunk enough. It's feeling too drunk, but having it still feel like not being drunk enough.
It's love and it's a sore throat after a great night with old friends. It's a sore throat after a night of arguing, of losing. It's sadness and it's happiness, in equal measures.

*Essay originally published June, 2012 - Daytrotter

Directed by brokeMC Starring Skirt Vonnegut Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr, Dana Hunter & Briana Layon (in order of appearance) THE BOTTOM DOLLARS OFFICIAL "FLY CASUAL" SPRI... - NME

With lush harmonies layered over a booming rhythm section, the Bottom Dollars play the kind of blues- and soul-infused rock that’s best experienced live. The Brooklyn five-piece’s second album, Good News, Everyone!, comes out on 9/18. (Listen to their new single, “Pieces” and its B-side, “Work,” below.) And in support of it, they’re getting ready to launch a cross-country tour, which kicks off on Saturday at Mercury Lounge with the Nuclears and the Naked Heroes. Ahead of the show, we caught up with Brian Cherchiglia (vocals, guitar), who answered Five Questions for The House List.

Which New York City musician—past or present—would you most like to play with?
Wow, that’s a pretty intense question. I’d love to collaborate with the guys from TV on the Radio, a cowrite with Tunde Adebimpe would be a dream come true. And then there’s the whole Bob Dylan thing. David Byrne, Method Man, Eugene Hütz … shit. I’m going Bob Dylan for the win with Tunde as a close second, so long as I can blaze with Method Man and Redman at some point in this fictional scenario.

When it comes to new songs, do you always work them out first in the studio? Or do they sometimes come together live onstage?
You know, we’ve been really fortunate to receive such great praise on our recordings but none of our songs are ever composed in a studio setting. They kind of teleport between my bedroom and our rehearsals. Normally, I’ll write these songs acoustically and just mess with them until I can present them to the band once they’ve evolved into more of a complete thought. That way, we can work on the arrangement as a group and let them take shape into something that’s more “big picture,” and that’s really where Evan [Berg, drums and vocals] shines as a composer. He’ll subconsciously understand where the song needs to go, and within one or two runs through it’s there.

And does new material ever continue to evolve when played live so that it becomes something different than the recorded version?
One of the best things about the Bottom Dollars is that we’re very much a “live band.” Each show is different. Set lists vary. The arrangements are fairly elastic and purposefully so, because when you’re performing, and a great transition or segue presents itself, it’s really important to capitalize on that and put yourself in that zone where it’s up to the collective rather than the individual. Improvisation is really important to accentuate a particular performance of a song (if the arrangement calls for it), and guitar solos are fucking badass. Plain and simple.

Do you have to be depressed to write a sad song? Do you have to be in love to write a love song? Is a song better when it really happened to you?
Wow. Every songwriter is different, so I can really only speak for myself here, but yes and no. I think it’s more important to be cognitive and pay attention to what’s actually happening around you (and to you), absorb what’s truly going down and then remember it in a way that makes you comfortable. I think it’s really important to just let yourself be happy, let yourself be sad and know what that’s actually like so when you write about it, it isn’t too abstract that someone can’t connect to it.

Does Good News, Everyone! differ from your previous work in tone or content? Or is it just a natural progression from one album to the next?
It’s definitely louder than The Halcyon Days, and I feel like it might be a bit riskier. It’s definitely a bigger sound, because now we have Shappy [Dan Shapiro, lead guitar] and Chris [Urriola, bass] to round out the sound. It’s definitely more intelligent, the production is cooler. So I’d say it’s definitely a natural progression. We’re growing, and Good News, Everyone! definitely shows that. —R. Zizmor - The Bowery Presents House List

We first became switched on to Bottom Dollars when we downloaded their recent Daytrotter Session. In particular the near ten minute epic of Fall Into Arms, a southern-tinged indie rocker, which has one of the best, and most insistent, openings of any song we’ve heard all year. It is a nailed on, pedal-to-the-floor tune for the open road!

A bit of further investigation revealed a few releases on their Bandcamp, all of which appear to be available for a “pay what you want” deal.

So go there. Get yourself some Bottom Dollars. - Mad Mackerel

We first became switched on to Bottom Dollars when we downloaded their recent Daytrotter Session. In particular the near ten minute epic of Fall Into Arms, a southern-tinged indie rocker, which has one of the best, and most insistent, openings of any song we’ve heard all year. It is a nailed on, pedal-to-the-floor tune for the open road!

A bit of further investigation revealed a few releases on their Bandcamp, all of which appear to be available for a “pay what you want” deal.

So go there. Get yourself some Bottom Dollars. - Mad Mackerel

With lush harmonies layered over a booming rhythm section, the Bottom Dollars play the kind of blues- and soul-infused rock that’s best experienced live. The Brooklyn five-piece’s second album, Good News, Everyone!, comes out on 9/18. (Listen to their new single, “Pieces” and its B-side, “Work,” below.) And in support of it, they’re getting ready to launch a cross-country tour, which kicks off on Saturday at Mercury Lounge with the Nuclears and the Naked Heroes. Ahead of the show, we caught up with Brian Cherchiglia (vocals, guitar), who answered Five Questions for The House List.

Which New York City musician—past or present—would you most like to play with?
Wow, that’s a pretty intense question. I’d love to collaborate with the guys from TV on the Radio, a cowrite with Tunde Adebimpe would be a dream come true. And then there’s the whole Bob Dylan thing. David Byrne, Method Man, Eugene Hütz … shit. I’m going Bob Dylan for the win with Tunde as a close second, so long as I can blaze with Method Man and Redman at some point in this fictional scenario.

When it comes to new songs, do you always work them out first in the studio? Or do they sometimes come together live onstage?
You know, we’ve been really fortunate to receive such great praise on our recordings but none of our songs are ever composed in a studio setting. They kind of teleport between my bedroom and our rehearsals. Normally, I’ll write these songs acoustically and just mess with them until I can present them to the band once they’ve evolved into more of a complete thought. That way, we can work on the arrangement as a group and let them take shape into something that’s more “big picture,” and that’s really where Evan [Berg, drums and vocals] shines as a composer. He’ll subconsciously understand where the song needs to go, and within one or two runs through it’s there.

And does new material ever continue to evolve when played live so that it becomes something different than the recorded version?
One of the best things about the Bottom Dollars is that we’re very much a “live band.” Each show is different. Set lists vary. The arrangements are fairly elastic and purposefully so, because when you’re performing, and a great transition or segue presents itself, it’s really important to capitalize on that and put yourself in that zone where it’s up to the collective rather than the individual. Improvisation is really important to accentuate a particular performance of a song (if the arrangement calls for it), and guitar solos are fucking badass. Plain and simple.

Do you have to be depressed to write a sad song? Do you have to be in love to write a love song? Is a song better when it really happened to you?
Wow. Every songwriter is different, so I can really only speak for myself here, but yes and no. I think it’s more important to be cognitive and pay attention to what’s actually happening around you (and to you), absorb what’s truly going down and then remember it in a way that makes you comfortable. I think it’s really important to just let yourself be happy, let yourself be sad and know what that’s actually like so when you write about it, it isn’t too abstract that someone can’t connect to it.

Does Good News, Everyone! differ from your previous work in tone or content? Or is it just a natural progression from one album to the next?
It’s definitely louder than The Halcyon Days, and I feel like it might be a bit riskier. It’s definitely a bigger sound, because now we have Shappy [Dan Shapiro, lead guitar] and Chris [Urriola, bass] to round out the sound. It’s definitely more intelligent, the production is cooler. So I’d say it’s definitely a natural progression. We’re growing, and Good News, Everyone! definitely shows that. —R. Zizmor - The Bowery Presents House List

Stop what you’re doing, and check out The Bottom Dollars brand spankin’ new music video for “Prizefighter.” This is one of our favorite tracks from the Dollars, and a big congrats to them for this clever, well-executed drama. Now, who wants to play some chess? - No Pulp Music Group, written by Lindsay Gilbert

Fate was cruel to Brian Cherchiglia on July 25th. Even though it had been rainy all day, the roof of his building had somehow caught fire. Now he couldn't stop breaking strings. Smiling on the stage of The Rock Shop, Cherchiglia, guitarist and lead vocalist for The Bottom Dollars, swapped out his first borrowed instrument (his own had already broken) for a second. Lightouts had already taken the stage and then their gear with them, but final act and Deli Artists of July 2011 The Nuclears had a seemingly endless guitar supply in their rock arsenal, and would never leave fellow musicians in need.
But through the power of positive thinking (and drinking), Cherchiglia, Evan Berg (drums, backing vocals) and Doug Guttenberg (bass, backing vocals) persevered like professionals and rolled out a set of analog rock, suffused with blues and muddled with folk. Imagine The Raconteurs with some Cake, including a "Satan Is My Motor" cover. Near the end of the band's on-stage odyssey, Dyalekt of Deathrow Tull joined them for a song titled "Peace and Anarchy." And peace (or the rock version anyway) inside of anarchy was just what The Bottom Dollars had accomplished, broken strings be damned. Take that, fate. Now if only the roof would stop smoldering.

- allison levin - The Deli Magazine, written by allison levin

With their good old-fashioned folk‘n'roll and a new video to match, The Bottom Dollars (who placed at #35 in our 2011 Best of NYC Poll for emerging artists) have premiered “Prizefighter” this week. The video was shot around iconic New York landmarks like the Coney Island boardwalk and Washington Square Park, and includes, yes, plenty of people having fun and fighting. The band, dressed dapper in 1920’s attires, duke it out in a series of brawls, though not always proving their claimed “prizefighter” status. The elusive single-named Seeley directed the video, which features appearances from a few friends, members of The Nuclears and the frizzy-haired W.M.D. DuBois of Deathrow Tull and Strings for Truth. See The Bottom Dollars live at Mercury Lounge on August 7. - Devon Antonetti - The Deli Magazine, written by Devon Antonetti

The Bottom Dollars music goes something like this:
It's showing up for church on Sunday mornings.

Somehow this seems right. There's something in them that makes the men in this Brooklyn-based band seem God-fearing/formerly God-fearing/Future fearing.

It's showing up for church on Sunday mornings with the taste of Saturday night still on their tongues.

It's showing up for church on Sunday mornings, with the sunlight feeling too damned bright. It's showing up with mud caking the back tires and the lower half of the truck body.

It's having a flask tucked, at all times, in the inside pocket of any coat that would ever be worn. It's keeping that flask healthily full with something that coats.

It's keeping every photograph of grandma, grandpa, mom and dad that are still around.

It's looking at them and being reminded of how much you look like all of them and wonder if they were feeling the same ways that they are currently feeling, at the same stages in their lives.

It's feeling time get washed completely the fuck away.

It's feeling helpless and not drunk enough. It's feeling too drunk, but having it still feel like not being drunk enough.

It's love and it's a sore throat after a great night with old friends. It's a sore throat after a night of arguing, of losing. It's sadness and it's happiness, in equal measures. - Daytrotter, written by Sean Moeller

Pick any Bottom Dollars' tune and see if the first guitar riff doesn't make you want a bottle of whiskey and a barstool (the "let's make some trouble" kind, not the "let's drown our sorrows" kind.) - ScoutMob

Pick any Bottom Dollars' tune and see if the first guitar riff doesn't make you want a bottle of whiskey and a barstool (the "let's make some trouble" kind, not the "let's drown our sorrows" kind.) - ScoutMob

Like those serial heart-stealers out there, The Bottom Dollars may appear at first as charming gentlemen drenched in traditional values, but it doesn't take too long to realize they are actually just a bunch of fun-loving, rocking sons of guns. As it happens, it will then be too late to withdraw your heart... - The Deli Magazine

"The Bottom Dollars have been stand-out stars on the curve amongst their peers and the masses of blogs that catch wind of their forceful nature."

The core of The Bottom Dollars consists of Evan Berg and Brian Cherchiglia (two very good friends that met while attending Boston's Berklee College Of Music). These two (very) talented artists have been leaving a serious splash on the Brooklyn Indie Scene consistently for the past 3 years. Known as "the guys from 103" these two gentlemen originally started off in a 3 piece group known as Analogue. They are the masterminds that brought you the JMZ parties in Brooklyn's notorious Opera House Lofts and the independent publishing company known as TK421MUSIC.

The Opera House Lofts have pumped out many talentsed young projects into the "Young-Brooklyn-Independent-Artist" scene such as The Nuclears, Deathrow Tull, and even myself Jimmy C. "The OHL" has even launched successful condiment companies like the Brooklyn Salsa Company. The Opera House Lofts is a watering hole for talent, where the Bottom Dollars have been the stand out stars on the curve amongst their peers and the masses of blogs that catch wind of their forceful nature. They're regulars at venues such as Arlene's Grocery, The Loving Cup, and the Bowery Poetry Club; its hard to miss these to bro-mancing around NYC's independent music scene.

This is a group you should keep your ears tuned in too. If you would like to get to know more about The Bottom Dollars check them out at http://thebottomdollars.bandcamp.com/ or hit they website http://www.thebottomdollars.com/ or you can get direct and personal with them VIA twitter.com/thebottomdollars. - Jimmy C

"The Bottom Dollars have been stand-out stars on the curve amongst their peers and the masses of blogs that catch wind of their forceful nature."

The core of The Bottom Dollars consists of Evan Berg and Brian Cherchiglia (two very good friends that met while attending Boston's Berklee College Of Music). These two (very) talented artists have been leaving a serious splash on the Brooklyn Indie Scene consistently for the past 3 years. Known as "the guys from 103" these two gentlemen originally started off in a 3 piece group known as Analogue. They are the masterminds that brought you the JMZ parties in Brooklyn's notorious Opera House Lofts and the independent publishing company known as TK421MUSIC.

The Opera House Lofts have pumped out many talentsed young projects into the "Young-Brooklyn-Independent-Artist" scene such as The Nuclears, Deathrow Tull, and even myself Jimmy C. "The OHL" has even launched successful condiment companies like the Brooklyn Salsa Company. The Opera House Lofts is a watering hole for talent, where the Bottom Dollars have been the stand out stars on the curve amongst their peers and the masses of blogs that catch wind of their forceful nature. They're regulars at venues such as Arlene's Grocery, The Loving Cup, and the Bowery Poetry Club; its hard to miss these to bro-mancing around NYC's independent music scene.

This is a group you should keep your ears tuned in too. If you would like to get to know more about The Bottom Dollars check them out at http://thebottomdollars.bandcamp.com/ or hit they website http://www.thebottomdollars.com/ or you can get direct and personal with them VIA twitter.com/thebottomdollars. - Jimmy C

Anybody who says they’re familiar with all the bands playing at CMJ is either uber-booker Matt McDonald or a total liar.

Now, Nonstop Sound has previously offered a list of must-see shows that we stand by. But with more than a trillion bands playing (a trillion being a completely mathematically correct figure we triple checked), we figured it couldn't hurt to take another crack at helping you plan your CMJ experience.

We based our earlier list on “artistic merit.” This list is more artfully based on the most ... interesting ... artist names in the official CMJ guide.

Some band names are awesome, some band names are "awesome," and some band names can't even be justified with quote marks. But band names are a totally valid way of judging whether to hit up a showcase. In 2008 this particular writer was looking for a way to kill time before Jay Reatard played the Bowery Ballroom, and wandered into a show at the Cake Shop because the bands playing had funny names. That night Cut Off Your Hands and The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart blew this writer away, and remain current favorites. Maybe you’ll have similar luck with Raccoon Fighter.

The "Best" Band Names Of the 2011 CMJ Music Marathon

Afternoon Naps

The Bottom Dollars

Exes Of Evil

Gauntlet Hair

The Golden Awesome

Gross Relations

Hollerado

Math The Band

Me You Us Them

Peanut Butter Lovesickle

Raccoon Fighter

Radical Dads

Sex With Strangers

Thunderf***s

Two Man Gentlemen Band

You Say France & I Whistle
- NBC (New York, NY)

Anybody who says they’re familiar with all the bands playing at CMJ is either uber-booker Matt McDonald or a total liar.

Now, Nonstop Sound has previously offered a list of must-see shows that we stand by. But with more than a trillion bands playing (a trillion being a completely mathematically correct figure we triple checked), we figured it couldn't hurt to take another crack at helping you plan your CMJ experience.

We based our earlier list on “artistic merit.” This list is more artfully based on the most ... interesting ... artist names in the official CMJ guide.

Some band names are awesome, some band names are "awesome," and some band names can't even be justified with quote marks. But band names are a totally valid way of judging whether to hit up a showcase. In 2008 this particular writer was looking for a way to kill time before Jay Reatard played the Bowery Ballroom, and wandered into a show at the Cake Shop because the bands playing had funny names. That night Cut Off Your Hands and The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart blew this writer away, and remain current favorites. Maybe you’ll have similar luck with Raccoon Fighter.

The "Best" Band Names Of the 2011 CMJ Music Marathon

Afternoon Naps

The Bottom Dollars

Exes Of Evil

Gauntlet Hair

The Golden Awesome

Gross Relations

Hollerado

Math The Band

Me You Us Them

Peanut Butter Lovesickle

Raccoon Fighter

Radical Dads

Sex With Strangers

Thunderf***s

Two Man Gentlemen Band

You Say France & I Whistle
- NBC (New York, NY)

Congratulations to our good friends THE BOTTOM DOLLARS! Today they proudly release their debut album, The Halcyon Days. Bonus: It’s available as a FREE DOWNLOAD! If you like real, organic rock and roll, then you’ll love The Halcyon Days. Check it out and spread the music love! Please enjoy and let us know how much you love it!

Here’s the personal announcement from the band:

Well y’all, we’ve done it!

We finally finished our debut album, “The Halcyon Days” with alot of help all of our friends.

You can get it for FREE RIGHT HERE!!!!
…
DOWNLOAD: http://bit.ly/iFjigN
PASSWORD: buffalo

Also, check it out on BandCamp. Its more complicated to download, but it looks really cool! (http://thebottomdollars.ba ndcamp.com/)

————

THE BOTTOM DOLLARS - THE HALCYON DAYS

1. Dias (05:25)
2. Home (05:00)
3. Prizefighter (04:31)
4. Jameson (03:58)

Engineered by Josh Ascalon (RADStudioBK) and Zachary Ciancaglini (Headgear Recordings)
Mixed by Zachary Ciangcaglini (Headgear Recordings)
Mastered at The Cutting Room (New York, NY)
Album Artwork & Design by Lindsay Gilbert

ADDITIONAL MUSICIANS
Calie Chapman - Viola
Lyle Divinsky - Vocals
Patrick Hanlin - Piano, Organ, Wurlitzer
Luke Hanlin - Accordian
Josh Schwartz - Vocals, Tenor Saxophone, Whistles

http://thebottomdollars.bandcamp.com/
http://www.thebottomdollars.com/
@BottomDollars on Twatter - No Pulp Music Group

Congratulations to our good friends THE BOTTOM DOLLARS! Today they proudly release their debut album, The Halcyon Days. Bonus: It’s available as a FREE DOWNLOAD! If you like real, organic rock and roll, then you’ll love The Halcyon Days. Check it out and spread the music love! Please enjoy and let us know how much you love it!

Here’s the personal announcement from the band:

Well y’all, we’ve done it!

We finally finished our debut album, “The Halcyon Days” with alot of help all of our friends.

You can get it for FREE RIGHT HERE!!!!
…
DOWNLOAD: http://bit.ly/iFjigN
PASSWORD: buffalo

Also, check it out on BandCamp. Its more complicated to download, but it looks really cool! (http://thebottomdollars.ba ndcamp.com/)

————

THE BOTTOM DOLLARS - THE HALCYON DAYS

1. Dias (05:25)
2. Home (05:00)
3. Prizefighter (04:31)
4. Jameson (03:58)

Engineered by Josh Ascalon (RADStudioBK) and Zachary Ciancaglini (Headgear Recordings)
Mixed by Zachary Ciangcaglini (Headgear Recordings)
Mastered at The Cutting Room (New York, NY)
Album Artwork & Design by Lindsay Gilbert

ADDITIONAL MUSICIANS
Calie Chapman - Viola
Lyle Divinsky - Vocals
Patrick Hanlin - Piano, Organ, Wurlitzer
Luke Hanlin - Accordian
Josh Schwartz - Vocals, Tenor Saxophone, Whistles

http://thebottomdollars.bandcamp.com/
http://www.thebottomdollars.com/
@BottomDollars on Twatter - No Pulp Music Group

Layered choral harmonies drive each song while clever instrumental work, including ominous guitars, place the songs in a suspenseful storytelling mood. Their music is technically and soulfully top-notch, and we at GigMaven think they are one of the finest young soul groups we’ve heard in Brooklyn. - Gigmaven

Last night at The Lovin’ Cup located on North 6th St a few local bands put on a free show. Two of the bands doing their thing, when I stopped by, were The Bottom Dollars and Baby States. The Bottom Dollars have a residency at the venue, meaning that every Tues at 8.30pm one is likely to catch them on stage playing songs from the wonder years. They describe themselves as playing rock ‘n roll. The vocals possess a retro sound giving the band an old school rock ‘n roll feel which was perfectly symbolised in vintage fedora hats they were sporting. - The WG News

Denon presents an exclusive one-on-one interview with Brian Cherchiglia, vocals and guitars of The Bottom Dollars, and co-founder & President of TK421 Music, an innovative, independent Music Publisher based in Brooklyn, New York.
-----------------------------------

Brian has his fingers dipped into almost every facet of the music industry, from music publishing, composition, licensing, marketing, and administration. Brian co-conceptualizes and oversees any and all operations in TK421 Music, a platform for independent music where people can find a diverse catalog of artists from all sorts of genres and styles.

Conceived with friend and partner Evan Berg, TK421 was made to give top-tier independent artists a chance to put their music in media, offering clients the same caliber of music from major music publisher but for a fraction of the price. Combining a strong blend of industry knowledge, passion, and creativity, Brian bridges the gap between aspiring artists and a variety of clients, paving the way for a new, blossoming artistic renaissance.

But Brian doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk as well, being the guitarist and vocals for Brooklyn’s rock and soul outfit, The Bottom Dollars, a band described as having a Black Keys meets Sam Cooke vibe, with a little bit of Tom Waits thrown in. The two-piece of guitar and drums is enough for fans to see them as “semi-professional sonic assassins”, that, in performances, come at audience large and in charge.

Tell us about yourself.

I grew up in Cleveland, OH and now I live in Brooklyn, NY enjoying the fruitful life of being a musician. My drummer and I also run a full service Music Publisher called TK421 Music.

When did you first decide to become a musician, & what inspired you?

I first decided to become a musician when I realized how much it moved me to play with other people. It was incredibly revelatory, and I thank my family everyday for allowing my first guitar to be an electric.

What is your idea of SOUND Bliss?

My idea of sonic bliss, eh? I’d say listening to “Dogs” by Pink Floyd on vinyl through some badass shit-kicking speakers. Either that or being head deep into a live show at Bonnaroo (I love Bonnaroo).

What was your first connection to Denon?

My dad is a total audiophile, so my first Denon experience was a power amp he had in his (I kid you not) “Stereo Room.” Yes, there was a Stereo Room in the modest, midwestern home which I was raised in. It had very nice trebles. Kudos, Denon!

Who are your favorite artists today?

My favorite artists today range across the board. I saw three standout bands during this year’s CMJ Music Marathon that floored me: Everest (Los Angeles, CA), Paul & the Patients (New York, NY), & Tristen (Nashville, TN). But on a more recognizable scale, I love My Morning Jacket, Cee-Lo Green & The Black Keys

Who is doing work today that really inspires you?

I’m very inspired by my Grandmother. She’s beat cancer three times and remains the strongest human being I’ve ever met. She’s the coolest, and she knows it.

What are your favorite 5-10 songs that we would find on your music play list?

That question is unfair. I plead the fifth…

What do you think the future of music holds in store for us?

That question is also unfair, but I’ll respond. I believe that the future of music will be an Apocalyptic Cyborg-Ruled Hell where we’re pitted against Techonlogy and Nature in a free-for-all bout against Time & Non-Renewable Energy (starring Danny Trejo & Lou Diamond Phillips).

If you could own a piece of sound equipment that would enhance your music or home theater experience, what would that be?

A real home studio. I’d be recording everyday if I only had the facilities… - Denon

They identify themselves as Rock ‘N’ Soul…

And we agree.

Brooklyn’s very own: The Bottom Dollars

No Pulp regulars, The Bottom Dollars have graced the stage for our bi-monthly music showcase at Arlene’s Grocery on several occasions. The rock duo is also a fun-loving crowd favorite, and we are pleased to feature them as part of our Tuesday, October 19 CMJ showcase. Not only are these cats solid on their instruments, but they are also some of the nicest dudes you will ever meet.

How can you become Facebook fans of these fine fellows: http://on.fb.me/bDthQN. Or even better, you can meet them in person at 2:30PM Tuesday, October 19 (Arlene’s Grocery: 95 Stanton Street).

What to expect: a high energy (Think the likes of The Black Keys) rock show. - No Pulp Music Group